Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
– | Eps = 173 (7 seasons), 3 are feature-length (split into two parts for reruns) | Timespan = 2369–2375 | Ship = Deep space 9.jpg | ShipCap = Space station Deep Space 9 | Cast = DS9CrewSeason1.jpg | CastCap = The cast in Season 1 - Season 3 | Cast2 = DS9 crew.jpg | Cast2Cap = The cast in Season 4 - Season 6 | Cast3 = DS9CrewSeason7.jpg | Cast3Cap = The cast in Season 7 }} :For the article on the space station, see Deep Space 9. For related links, see Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (disambiguation). Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is the third live-action Star Trek series. It ran in first-run syndication from to , and is the first Star Trek series not created by Gene Roddenberry, but by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. It was also the only Trek series to run alongside other Trek series through its entire run; Star Trek: The Next Generation from 1993-1994, and Star Trek: Voyager from 1995-1999. * * **(Themes composed by Dennis McCarthy) Summary Deep Space Nine went where no Star Trek had gone before – it was the first series that was not based on a starship, but was instead based on a starbase, known as Deep Space 9. Indeed, when Brandon Tartikoff originally approached Rick Berman about the show, he specifically said he wanted it to have a new format; if ''The Next Generation'' was in space, Deep Space Nine was to be in space - a man and his son coming to a dilapidated town on the edge of a new frontier. The show is known for its complex characters and storylines, engaging battle scenes and darker (less Utopian) atmosphere. Unlike its predecessors Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine tended to avoid an episodic format for most of its run and instead featured multiple-episode story arcs. It also tended to deal with subjects never before dealt with in any real depth by Star Trek; subjects such as racism, sexuality, war, politics, and religion. Unlike other Trek series, DS9 also had a large cast of recurring characters. Such characters included Nog, Rom, Elim Garak, Dukat, Winn Adami, Weyoun, the Female Changeling, Damar, Martok, Kasidy Yates, Leeta, Brunt, Ishka and Zek. In addition to Miles O'Brien, Worf – a major character from TNG – played a large role in DS9. Several Next Generation characters had recurring roles on the show, such as Keiko O'Brien and Gowron. Several other TNG characters made appearances, such as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Thomas Riker, Q, Lwaxana Troi, Kurn, Lursa, B'Etor, Admiral Alynna Nechayev, Vash, and Toral. In addition, Julian Bashir and Quark also had one-time appearances on The Next Generation, in TNG's and respectively. Quark (and the station itself) also made a cameo in the pilot of Star Trek: Voyager, . Characters from The Original Series were also re-introduced, including Kor, Kang, Koloth and Arne Darvin. The series focused on several races that were first featured on TNG, such as the Bajorans, the Cardassians, the Trill and the Ferengi. Later, the Klingons and the Romulans (both created in TOS) became pivotal species in the series. Many other species made appearances on the series, including Vulcans, Bolians and Benzites. The series also created many species of its own, most notably the Changelings, the Vorta and the Jem'Hadar, who collectively made up the Dominion. Deep Space Nine also featured several regular characters who were not members of Starfleet, with Kira Nerys, a member of the Bajoran Militia and Odo, the station's chief of security as well as civilians such as Quark and Jake Sisko. The series spent some time exploring the mirror universe, which had not been seen since the TOS episode . The mirror universe was featured in five episodes of the series: , , , , and . In addition to the visits to the mirror universe, the DS9 writing staff wrote a number of episodes where the character of Miles O'Brien would be subject to particular trauma. This became an in-joke among the staff, who called them "O'Brien Must Suffer" episodes and went to great lengths to produce at least one such episode per season. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) The show also focused on a wider array of uses and depictions of functions for the holodeck. In addition to many obvious activities such as those referenced by Chief O'Brien and Julian Bashir, which were completely in keeping with holodeck usage on ST:TNG, the holodeck was used as a recurring background for people to hang out in in the form of a 1960s Las Vegas lounge (numerous episodes), as well as the location for a baseball game between teams assembled by Sisko vs. a long-time rival Vulcan captain ( ). The show broke the "standard format" for Star Trek shows a number of times, as well, with a direct, first-person narrative providing the commentary for an episode: , a retelling of a classic TOS episode from a different angle: , life in the racially segregated 1950s: , and brought the concept of "Black Ops" to the Star Trek Universe with Section 31: Due to the show's non-episodic nature, much of the series was easily lost on the casual viewer. Many also believe that the changing television landscape contributed to DS9's ratings trouble, as local TV stations which had aired TNG in prime time became WB and UPN affiliates and pushed syndicated programming to the margins. Subsequent Trek shows Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise had network support from UPN and a guaranteed time slot. DS9 was also the only series to run opposite another Trek show (first The Next Generation, then Voyager) for the entirety of its run (albeit briefly the first 12 episodes of the third season aired without another series on). Additionally, certain markets, notably in the UK, would only play one Star Trek series, in its entirety, at a time. Thus, events alluded to in The Next Generation or Voyager that happened in Deep Space Nine took months to "sync up." Despite these problems, Deep Space Nine remained a fan-favorite series throughout its seven-year run, with reviewers consistently lauding the series for its bold shift in tone from The Next Generation. Most notable among such changes was the concept of inter-personal conflict -- something which Gene Roddenberry himself was said to have forbidden. There was also a rivalry with another popular and critically acclaimed television series, Babylon 5, created and produced by J. Michael Straczynski. The two productions, which ran largely concurrently, were observed to be so similar that Babylon 5 fans accused Paramount, to whom Straczynski had previously pitched his series, of plagiarism. Considering how fellow Trek alumni like Walter Koenig and Andreas Katsulas had major roles in the rival series, Majel Barrett-Roddenberry agreed to a guest appearance as a gesture of goodwill to encourage a reconciliation between the fandoms. Several former producers and head writers of DS9 have been involved in other sci-fi series including the creation of the 're-envisioned' Battlestar Galactica, The 4400, Farscape, and Medium. Deep Space Nine was the first live-action Star Trek series to feature a fully-animated sequence in its opening credits, as opposed to the simple flashcards accompanied by rapid flypasts of the Enterprise used for the opening sequences of both TOS and TNG. Both subsequent series, VOY and ENT would also have fully animated credit sequences. In the DVD season special features the creators talk about the similarities between Deep Space Nine and an old Western setting Sisko as the Mayor, Kira as a Native American, Bashir as a country doctor, Odo the lawman, Quark as the local barkeep and Miles O'Brien the everyman wed to the local school marm Keiko. Main Cast Starring * Avery Brooks as Commander/Captain Sisko Also Starring * Rene Auberjonois as Odo * Nicole de Boer as Ensign/Lieutenant Ezri Dax ( - ) * Michael Dorn as Lt. Commander Worf ( - ) * Siddig El Fadil as Doctor Bashir * Terry Farrell as Lieutenant/Lt. Commander Dax ( - ) * Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko * Colm Meaney as Chief O'Brien * Armin Shimerman as Quark * Nana Visitor as Major/Colonel Kira Executive Producers *Rick Berman - Executive Producer *Michael Piller - Executive Producer (1993–1995) *Ira Steven Behr - Executive Producer (1995–1999) Staff Writers *Ira Steven Behr, Staff Writer *Hans Beimler, Staff Writer (1995–1999) *René Echevarria, Staff Writer ( –1999) *Ronald D. Moore, Staff Writer (1994–1999) *Bradley Thompson, Staff Writer ( –1999) *David Weddle, Staff Writer (1996–1999) *Robert Hewitt Wolfe, Staff Writer (1993– ) Episode List Season 1 DS9 Season 1, 19 episodes: Season 2 DS9 Season 2, 26 episodes: Season 3 DS9 Season 3, 26 episodes: Season 4 DS9 Season 4, 25 episodes: Season 5 DS9 Season 5, 26 episodes: Season 6 DS9 Season 6, 26 episodes: Season 7 DS9 Season 7, 25 episodes: Related topics *DS9 performers *DS9 recurring characters *Main character crossover appearances *DS9 directors *Composers *DS9 novels *Paramount Stage 4 *Paramount Stage 17 *Paramount Stage 18 Media * ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' on VHS * ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' on DVD * ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' soundtracks External links * ** * * * Star Trek: Deep Space Nine at TV.com * [http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewTVSeason?id=257255214&s=143441 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes] at the iTunes Store ($1.99 per episode, season 1 currently available) * [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2746873152102171339 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fan-made trailer] pt-br:Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Category:Star Trek Deep Space Nine Deep Space Nine Deep Space Nine bg:Стар Трек: Космическа станция 9 cs:Star Trek: Deep Space Nine de:Star Trek: Deep Space Nine eo:Stela Vojaĝo: Profunda Spaco Naŭ es:Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fr:Star Trek: Deep Space Nine it:Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ja:スタートレック：ディープ・スペース・ナイン nl:Star Trek: Deep Space Nine pl:Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ru:Звёздный путь: Глубокий космос 9 sv:Star Trek: Deep Space Nine